Fire Departments Seeing Fewer Applicants
By: Cassidy Hodges
Updated: March 10, 2012
Fighting fires is a very demanding job and this March---in Siloam Springs only half the usual number showed up for yearly testing.
Ten minutes and twenty seconds is the total time to show the Siloam Springs Fire Department you have what it takes.
"We do this every March and if we need to hire somebody this is the list we go off of," says Travis White, the Siloam Springs Battalion Chief.
But White says a lot of fire departments are seeing fewer and fewer applicants.
"Last year we had probably 30 or so and talking to departments in Oklahoma and in Northwest Arkansas, I found out this year all the applicants are down," says White.
This March, less than half that number showed up to climb into this career.
"I was thinking with the economy the way it is, people need jobs we'd actually have more," says White.
I asked on candidate why he wanted to be a firefighter.
"Mostly the calendars," says Trey Anson.
And for those on the other side of the shield....becoming a firefighter isn't easy.
"It's a great job and when people get it they want to hold on to it and I think that's also why you see less turnover and I think that's a good thing," says William Cade, a candidate.
And even though the number of applicants are down, Siloam still has only one job opening.
It takes three tests to even be considered, starting with a written exam
"They pass it, they get to move on to an aerial climb."
Then, it gets physical.
"The average person doing our agility would probably have a difficult time passing it," says White.
"It was brutal and I didn't know what to expect," says Cade.
"The hardest part about it is the dummy drag, 165 lbs," says Anson.
After passing all the tests, these guys are just happy to move into the interview process, to get a shot at fighting fires.
Siloam Springs Fire Department tests every march and those test scores are valid for the entire year.
Ten minutes and twenty seconds is the total time to show the Siloam Springs Fire Department you have what it takes.
"We do this every March and if we need to hire somebody this is the list we go off of," says Travis White, the Siloam Springs Battalion Chief.
But White says a lot of fire departments are seeing fewer and fewer applicants.
"Last year we had probably 30 or so and talking to departments in Oklahoma and in Northwest Arkansas, I found out this year all the applicants are down," says White.
This March, less than half that number showed up to climb into this career.
"I was thinking with the economy the way it is, people need jobs we'd actually have more," says White.
I asked on candidate why he wanted to be a firefighter.
"Mostly the calendars," says Trey Anson.
And for those on the other side of the shield....becoming a firefighter isn't easy.
"It's a great job and when people get it they want to hold on to it and I think that's also why you see less turnover and I think that's a good thing," says William Cade, a candidate.
And even though the number of applicants are down, Siloam still has only one job opening.
It takes three tests to even be considered, starting with a written exam
"They pass it, they get to move on to an aerial climb."
Then, it gets physical.
"The average person doing our agility would probably have a difficult time passing it," says White.
"It was brutal and I didn't know what to expect," says Cade.
"The hardest part about it is the dummy drag, 165 lbs," says Anson.
After passing all the tests, these guys are just happy to move into the interview process, to get a shot at fighting fires.
Siloam Springs Fire Department tests every march and those test scores are valid for the entire year.
